1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor device and a fabricating method thereof, and in particular, to a non-volatile memory and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A memory is a semiconductor device designed for storing information or data. As the functions of computer microprocessors become more and more powerful, programs and operations executed by software are increasing correspondingly. Along with wide applications of consumer electronics and system products, the demands for memory with low power-consuming, low cost, high reading and erasing speed, small volume and high capacity grow rapidly. For this reason, integrating devices with various functions into a single semiconductor substrate comes with the tide of fashion. An embedded non-volatile memory including integrating a non-volatile memory and logic circuits into a single die is one of examples.
In logic circuits, the non-volatile memory is usually included therein besides the circuit devices for memory control and operation. In general, the gate structure of the non-volatile memory is formed by photolithography and etching processes to pattern the conductive material.
Along with rapid progress of semiconductor technology, the dimensions of semiconductor devices are reduced and the integrity thereof is promoted continuously to further advance the operating speed and performance of the integrated circuit. Hence, as the demand for device integrity is raised, how to make the non-volatile memory in a limited area by simplified fabrication and less utilization of mask has to be considered in the recent semiconductor technology.